My first adjustment in clinic!

Yesterday was a pretty exciting day. We had an exam at 7:30 a.m. and then standard classes the rest of the day. I was not looking forward to it because we also have board review this week, which means I am in class from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. for the rest of the week.

Now I know you’re, like, “Uh, she said this was an exciting day. This does not sound exciting yet.” Well, the exciting stuff happened at the end of the day!

We have been working on reciprocal work in our clinical methods class, which is a class we take to prepare ourselves for clinic. Reciprocal work is doing everything we would do in clinic with a patient, except you’re doing it on a classmate.

Well, yesterday and today were the adjusting days. So we got into the AHC (Academic Health Center), which is where my partner and I were assigned, and it was the first time I had ever been down there. We were working under my AHC staff doctor, which was cool because I got to meet her and actually work under her for the day. It was the first clinical type adjusting situation I’ve been in.

So I took the history on my patient, did the evaluation, found her subluxation, called the staff doctor in and told her I was ready. She said, “Okay great, go ahead.” It was C3 body right. I did supine diversifed, and I got it in the first try! It was so cool!

I was nervous because it was the first time I was being watched by a staff doctor in the actual clinic. She seemed to have full confidence in what I was doing when I wasn’t 100% sure I had full confidence in myself. And I did it. My patient even told me she couldn’t tell that I was nervous. She said it was a great adjustment and was jealous that I got it on the first try.

I thought I was going to be a lot more stressed out than I actually was … just because when you’re adjusting in class on adjusting days, you’re in front of your teachers who you’ve spent a whole trimester with and kind of know and you’re still nervous to have them watch you. And, here in this situation, I’m working under someone I’ve never met who has more confidence in me than I do, and I don’t come off as nervous at all. It just shows that we’re getting more confortable in our abilities and our capabilities.

After class was over, I rushed over to the CHC (Campus Health Center, the student clinic) to observe an appointment for a patient I’ll be taking over once we clear. So that was even more exciting, getting to be in the clinic setting with your patients, seeing their care and knowing that pretty soon you’ll be adjusting them, too.

The appointment ran a little long, so I was about a half hour late to board review and starving. Luckily my wonderful best friend brought me Jimmy Johns so I could make it through the rest of the night. Tonight I have another patient to observe during my clinic shift and more board review. It’s a busy and long week here at Palmer!

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One thought on “My first adjustment in clinic!”

That was a great start, we all have that kind of feeling especially on our first time. But as we gradually have more experience, it will just be natural for us and the feeling of nervousness will be gone. Good luck to you Allisha. It will be a journey worth having… 🙂